Coaching: a Leadership Style for Civil War Round Tables

Emerging Civil War welcomes Craig D. Apperson

Civil War Round Tables are comprised of individuals bonded by their interests of a wide range of issues involving the most disruptive period of our nation’s history. These organizations are composed of those whose interests in the history of our Civil War enable the establishment of goals and objectives in support of a renewed awareness of the Civil War’s continuing impact on our society.

All organizations must have leaders, and defining leadership styles becomes an important parameter to promote success. Coaching is considered to be one of the best approaches to engage the members in activities and to assist them to focus on the objectives of the organization.

Most are familiar with the role of coaches in competitive sports. This last February, Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell was awarded the 2024 Coach of the Year. “Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach – an innovative play caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players,” owner and president Mark Wilf said.

Those same skills can be effective when applied to Civil War Round Tables. Round Table members can profit from the coaching approach with respect to motivation, the sharing of knowledge and skills, the establishment of goals to achieve results, and fostering the development of collective support. In volunteer organizations, coaching strategies should typically be focused on collaboration rather than competition. The establishment of goals and objectives should be developed annually, to reflect the changes in membership and Round Table challenges. For example, many Round Tables suffered losses in membership due to pandemic-related restrictions.

The International Coaching Federation paraphrases the definition of coaching as partnering with others in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their potential as a member of the group. The skills of a coach in a Round Table (RT) setting would typically include:

• Initiating contact with the RT members and others who may be interested in joining the RT.
  • Does your Round Table have an outreach coordinator, or established partnerships within the community? A coach would brainstorm with the Board for partnership ideas, as well as tap into a member who has the drive and the personality to reach out into the community.

• Establishing agendas through a consensus of the RT goals and objectives.
  • How can we get from Point A to Point B?

• Utilizing active listening skills to understand the goals and interests of the RT members.
  • A coach will make note of who has a legal background, the technical background, or the network of friends and professional alliances. It may well be “it’s not what you know but who you know.”

• Striving to link the RT member interests with the RT activities.
  • Director A likes being social. She’d be perfect for interviewing members for their profile piece in the newsletter. Director B has been a National History Day Judge for years. Maybe he’d like to head up the new Scholarship Committee or other initiatives by reaching out to local history groups, including classes in high schools and colleges. Director C actually likes technology and should be encouraged to become a tech specialist for the Round Table, organizing ZOOM meetings and other similar activities.
• Mentoring new RT members.
  • Find out their interests and then invite them to sit at the main table with the speaker who addresses that topic. It’s a great way to develop relationships and make the new member feel special.
• Providing support for RT members when things don’t go as planned; and,

• Celebrating successes by highlighting the actions of RT members.
  • It’s about paying attention to the little things like anniversaries, birthdays, accomplishments – done with the help of your record keepers.

One way for Round Table leaders to assess their individual strengths and abilities with the Round Table is to consider rating oneself on a scale of one to five (one = needs improvement and five = excellent) on each of the skills outlined above. The self-assessment exercise can serve as an excellent opportunity for personal improvement of the coaching skills. The personal process of learning new skills or improving old skills can serve as a meaningful growth experience.

Round Table members often seek rewards for their efforts in the form of actual engagement in the activities of the Round Table organization. Social belonging and providing assistance to other members are the two most prominent motivations for joining and remaining as a Round Table member. The coach’s role is to assist Round Table members in their efforts to become involved while promoting the Round Table objectives.

For Civil War Round Table leaders, it is useful to help local members to review their motives for involvement and ascertain how those interests might fit into the goals of the Round Table. For members who have been involved for some time, it is possible that their motives and interests have changed over time. They may wish to explore other areas of Round Table operations.

New members might be open to a wide array of activities or have other expectations that need to be explored. No group is static, and the leader’s job is to foster growth in a direction that members can get excited about and enjoy. Adopting a coaching perspective for volunteer leadership can be a challenging and rewarding experience. The possibilities for personal and group growth are only limited by the energy put into the effort.

Craig D. Apperson, former psychologist in the corrections system, director of K-12 school safety programs for the state of Washington, and director of the Army National Guard Psychological Health Program, is currently consulting with houses of worship to develop safety plans. He is a Director on the Board of the CWRT Congress.